Pre-Amps

SKJOLD/EAST DELUXE

Standard on the Exotic and Estate series ** optional on the Stage series **

Skjold Design has been collaborating with John East since 2004 when they first had him tweak a u-retro for my basses. Since then many of those "tweaks" have become regular features on John's preamps. Out of all the preamps Skjold Design has tried they have found the Skjold/East Deluxe to be the most versatile and powerful EQ system available. With standard features like active blending, active passive tone control, bass boost only with a built in shelving all the way down to 30hz of useable low end, sweepable midrange for dialing in just the right amount of burp or scoop, a treble control with ultra bright, it is clear that these truly give you all the options one could want. The best thing is they are true bypass and will also work in passive mode, so you are not restricted to just active use. These preamps are very natural and musical sounding despite the powerful tone shaping quality they possess. These preamps can and will change your tone from fat finger style, to crisp, modern slap and everything in between. This preamp allows the professional bassist to get all the tones they need from one bass to get through the most tonally demanding gigs.

SKJOLD/EAST 3-BAND SPM

Standard on the Stage model ** optional on the Estate and Exotic models **

The Skjold/East 3-band is a great alternative to the deluxe preamp. If you want something a bit more straightforward but still offering powerful precise control over your tone, then this is your obvious choice. The SPM preamps feature internally selectable frequency points so each band can be set to your desired frequency. The treble cut and boost is adjustable from 2k all the way up to 7k. The bass control is boost only with a corner notch starting at around 60hz and going all the way down to 30hz, but shelved, so the curve is gradual. It is the most musical bass control Skjold Design has ever experienced. Like the deluxe version, the bass does not just get louder as you boost it, but also gets progressively lower. The best feature is the selectable range on the mid knob because every bass is slightly different in the midrange. This control allows the player to voice the best frequency for the ideal cut or boost for a particular player's needs. This is a crucial element because sometimes the natural midrange character of a bass can conflict with an EQ's preset frequency. This can result in a nasally tone when mids are boosted or low-end deficiency when they are cut. By being able to move the frequency point higher or lower I can avoid these ranges and make the bass sound more musical. On the deluxe you have a sweepable mid right on the outside so this is no problem but for those of you who like to set and forget this is the preamp for you.

Have a favorite preamp? Have a favorite set of pickups? While Skjold Design believes their pickup and preamp offerings to be the best fit with their basses they are open to using other compatible preamps and pickups for an optional upcharge. Feel free to inquire. Certain restrictions will apply.